For many, the creative relevance of 3-D cinema remains an open question. But this weekend reinforces the format’s commercial power at the box office. Despite a moviegoing weekend dominated by R-rated violent thriller-type films ostensibly shooting for the same audience, The Final Destination scared up $28.3 million for an easy No. 1 berth, according to early estimates from Hollywood.com Box Office. That’s almost $10 million better than the opening frame for the last film in the creatively-dispatching-model-perfect-unknown-actors franchise (which, for those keeping track, was Final Destination 3). There’s really only one reason why: Although just over half its 3,121 theaters were screening the flick in 3-D, fully 70 percent of its box office take came from 3-D theaters. And theaters typically charge an extra few bucks per ticket for the privilege of watching the film with those comfy stereoscopic glasses. Rest assured, despite its title (and its abysmal “C” CinemaScore grade), this is by no means the final Final Destination movie.
The folks at the The Weinstein Company, meanwhile, had mixed news for their much scrutinized bottom line: Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds landed at No. 2 with a rather spectacular $20 million, just 47 percent down from its opening weekend; the film’s cumulative total is $73.7 million. TWC’s sister company Dimension Films, however, saw its Halloween II open to a disappointing third with $17.4 million. Director Rob Zombie’s second re-imagining of the 31-year-old slasher franchise made nothing close to the $30.6 million debut of Zombie’s first night out with Michael Myers over Labor Day 2007. But given the steep competition and the film’s $15 million budget, it will most likely yield a modest profit. (TWC also announced plans for another Halloween sequel, this time without Zombie but in 3-D.)
The box office love continued through much of the weekend’s top 10: District 9 dropped just 41 percent with $10.7 million, strong enough to hold on to fourth place and, with a $90.8 mil running total, well on its way to joining the $100 million club. At No. 5, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra banged out $8 million, a 34 percent drop and $132 million total. And Julie & Julia savored a tiny 16 percent drop for sixth, with $7.4 million in its fourth weekend for $70.9 million total.
In fact, the only true disappointment for the weekend was Focus Features’ Taking Woodstock. Director Ang Lee’s trip back to the iconic three-day concert debuted at ninth with just $3.7 million, doubly disappointing since it opened wide in 1,393 theaters (after a Wednesday opening in New York and Los Angeles) and netted a feeble $2,691 per theater average. By contrast, two limited-release debuts did rather well: Vogue magazine documentary The September Issue bowed on six screens with a fashionable $40,000 per theater average; and the extreme-sports-fandom-gone-wrong dramedy Big Fan won $13,000 per theater on two screens.
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Wait, I’m confused. This says that “Halloween 2’s” box office total was nothing to sneeze at. Yet just one click away is a story that calls it a bomb. Hmm…
it’s by Comparison 2 the first one! they had high expectation!
Unfortunately, I guess this means this isn’t the final Final Destination.
I saw the first remake of Halloweeen and it sux…..i wish hollywood would come out with more original work. I know this has been said many times but hollywood executives are juset stupid people. They will greenlight any remakes that was successful.
“80s music is not dead, they just live on defSpot com’
The Final Destination is the worst movie I’ve seen since the 1997 double whammy of Speed 2 and Batman & Robin!
This is sad and wrong almost as bad as Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Halloween 2 was better than expected. Here in Miami, there was absolutelty zero commercials for it(versus 7 gazillion commercials for The Final Destination). If not for EW.com, I would not have known it was opening this weekend. Perhaps that’s why it did not do better.
The first Halloween made by Rob was awful. There was no way I was going to see the second one.
District 9 is the best film I have seen this summer next to Up and Star Trek.
the only reason why FD is making any money is because people are basically, RETARDED! no one is going to see halloween because they think its run it’s course. i agree with that, however…there is an awesome ingenius director making the movie. you rather sit through crap instead of seeing some worth watching. you people are a joke!
Good to see Julie & Julia showing it’s legs!
District 9 was one of the best films this summer. Also Hurt Locker was really good. A pretty disappointing summer!!!
Poor, poor, pretentious Reese.
Final Destination was a not as good as the first three. Only the 3-D made in interesting. As far as for Halloween 2, it was good in spots, but two much fantasy. Rob has reverted back to his earlier works with the low-budget and over the top violence.
The Final Destination was of course not a great movie, but the 3D definitely made it a fun movie-experience.
Favorite summer movie: Drag Me to Hell. I don’t think I’ve ever yelled and jumped so much in a movie ever.
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